How Nick Offerman Helped Fix The Last Of Us
Nick Offerman fixed things that needed mending during his free time on the set of The Last of Us.
Video game adaptations are historically seen as notoriously bad and never expected to be taken seriously, but HBO Max’s The Last of Us is looking to change that narrative. Unlike the failed Resident Evil or the hilariously bad Doom adaptions, the zombie apocalypse series focuses on the deep character psychology that made the game great, including the lonely and reclusive Bill. According to Slash Film, Director Peter Hoar revealed that Bill actor Nick Offerman was a Mr. Fix It on the set of The Last of Us, just like his on-screen character.
By the time we meet Nick Offerman’s character in The Last of Us, he has lived alone in a town he has fortified and built up to sustain him, and his loneliness is apparent. When something needed maintenance, needed to be built, or otherwise fiddled by a handyman, Bill was able to do so on his own. Peter Hoar told Empire Magazine that Bill’s tools were strewn about the set, and Offerman just couldn’t help himself, fixing everything in sight.
If you are a fan of the games, the series, or simply love post-apocalyptic stories, you know that surviving the end of times revolves around your ability to make do. You must be handy enough to build shelter, grow food, defend your land, and fix whatever breaks. Bill is a character from the games who is able to do all of those things, which is why he survived the 20 years between the outbreak and the events of the game.
In the series, Bill meets Frank at the beginning of the third episode, the one Hoar directed. The profoundly emotional installment gave fans more background on the character from the game and deep insight into what life looks like outside of quarantine zones. Of course, there was some deviation from the game, as Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal) didn’t navigate the town and conflict with Bill, but Nick Offerman’s stellar performance made it one of The Last of Us‘ best episodes so far.
There may be a reason Nick Offerman’s Last of Us character felt so deeply connected to the actor, as the Parks and Recreation veteran is a handyman himself. His tendency to fix things on set isn’t a new thing, as he did the same thing on the comedy series that also starred Amy Poehler, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, and Rashida Jones. Legend has it that he was known for collecting discarded pieces of the set and making wrap gifts for the rest of the cast, including wooden oars.
The saddest part of this story is that we won’t see more of Nick Offerman in The Last of Us (unless they do more flashbacks, which would feel shoehorned), as his arc ended with his one episode. However, reading or hearing about some of the behind-the-scenes stories allows us to experience him in character a little more. One thing is certain: if the apocalypse does happen, Nick Offerman isn’t a bad person to have on your side.
